Painful, Clueless, and Happy Surprises
by Amour de l'eau
Summary: “Wait! I love you! I have always loved you! You can’t leave me! I LOVE YOU!” His anger made him yell. She looked down. “But I don’t love you.” She whispered, and she left him. R&R dude! :D. AU, of course. Read! The title explains all. ; .


**_Heyy!! Okay, so this is my first Danny Phantom fanfic. I decided on doing a one-shot cuz they're easy to read and write. ;]. After you read it, review!! Even if you hate it. ;]. Or if you are cllueless and confused and have questions. :]. So please enjoy _Painful, Clueless and Happy Surprises. :]. :D. **

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She seemed to be the only one not happy about the upcoming events. It was only a week away. Her parents were thrilled. She had been as well, until she went to the town on some late errands. Her name is Samantha Mason. She was engaged at the early age of twenty to Mr. Dash Baxter. A few months ago, they were both head over heels in love, planning for the wedding of their dreams.  
Then, the girl went to finish her last minute errands for the wedding. She ran into trouble, wandering down the wrong dark alley. The men were drunk, and they only wanted one thing as she walked, not bothered by the men that followed her. Some men ahead of her caused her to stop. She turned, seeing the other group of men closing her in. They wore hoddies and dark clothing, almost invisible in the dark, but she could still see the outlines of the figures. She backed into a wall and she had no chance of escaping. Her heart sped up. Her breathing grew more rapid. She knew what was going to happen. She tried to scream as they closed in her, but it was caught in her throat. She closed her eyes, waiting for it to end quickly.

There was a muffled scurry of sneakers on pavement, moving away from her. Some men yelled. She couldn't make out the words they were yelling. She dared herself to look. It took her a second to gain the courage to look. When she did, she saw the back of a head.

There was short, messy black hair and a tan neck. They wore a leather jacket, dark jeans and sneakers. Samantha had made the guess her hero was a man. He stood in a protective stance in front of her.  
She didn't move, and neither did the man. He slowly stood up and turned his head to look at the woman he had just protected. They were both surprised.

He saw a beautiful girl. Her amethysts eyes were huge with fright and confusion, but he still found them as beautiful as the girl herself. She wore a green and black short skirt and a black tank top. Her jacket was black and the sleeves went past her hands. She wore a pair of black gloves. Purple leggings shielded her legs from the cold air. He almost laughed out loud when he saw she wore black combat boots. He gave her a soft smile.

She saw a cute boy, who was also very handsome. His ice blue eyes were the warmest pair of eyes she has ever stared into. He wore a read and white t-shirt under his black leather jacket. When he smiled at her, she thought her heart had melted.

The man turned to face her and held out his hand. "Hello. I'm Daniel Fenton. But you can just call me Danny. I hate my full name." He added a heartfelt laugh.

She laughed as well. "Samantha Manson. But you can call me Sam." She shook his hand and smiled at him. An idea sprang in her head. "Wanna go get a coffee?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't refuse the offer.

"Okay." He agreed.

They decided to walk to the nearest coffee shop. It was a local shop in Amity Park. The shop was a few blocks from where they were. Danny knew the shop was close. That was where he was headed before he saw the girl in trouble. Gray's Coffee was the name of the shop. Danny wondered if the name of the shop would change. His best friend Tucker Foley was marrying the owner, Valerie Gray. He was excited for the couple, knowing they needed and cared for each other. He felt a pang of jealousy sometimes, but he wiped it off. He was young enough to still find love.

They walked in silence; both had different things on their minds. Sam was thinking about her wedding, the happiest day of her life, as she was told. Her thoughts also found their way to think about the man next to her. All Danny thought about was the girl next to him.

They only took five minutes to reached the shop. Inside was small, with very few people. Only night workers and and local high school students lingered in the shop, other than the young girl working at the counter. All had either a paper or a laptop along with their beverage.

"I'll get the drinks." Danny offered. "What would you like?"

Sam wasn't big on coffee drinks. She scanned over the menu of the simple and specialty drinks. Some of the things she couldn't imagine anyone drinking, especially at this late hour.

She chose something she had always never been able to refuse. "I'll have a medium hot cocoa." She said with a simple smile. He returned her smile with a nod and a smile of his own. Sam wandered to one of the tables unoccupied in the shop. She sat by one of the large windows that overlooked the street. It was empty, except the few pieces of litter found everywhere, the blinking crosswalk sign, the streetlight and a few other shops. Most of them were closed. She saw a hefty man walking with his dog. He stopped to look at something in a jeweler's window. The dog pushed its head against the man's hand. The man scratched the dog's head and looked down at it. He smiled and said something before he continued their walk. Sam couldn't help[ but smile. She turned to look back inside the shop.

Danny walked up to the young woman at the counter.

"Hey, Danny." She said, giving him a grin as she dried a cup with a towel.

He returned a smile. "Hey, Valerie."

Valerie put her dish down. "The usual?" She asked.

Danny nodded. "Yea. Please. And a medium hot cocoa."

"Two drinks?" Her voice rang high of curiosity.

Again, he nodded. "The hot cocoa is for this girl. She's over there." He gestured toward Sam.

"And I thought this day wouldn't come this early. Danny Fenton has finally got himself a girlfriend!" She giggled, causing him to blush and scowl at her. "Its a joke." She threw in a last giggle before hopping off to fill his order. His mind lingered on what she had said. This girl he barely knows and he's already blushing. He shook his head. These things don't happen in real life. Only in sappy movies that always lead to a happy ending with some lesson learned and some pain on the middle. He didn't really enjoy those movies. He had better tastes.

Val returned with the drinks. "That will be $4.47." He handed her a five and turned, not wanting to spend another moment with his best friend's girl. He didn't mind losing fifty three cents.

"Here you are, Sam." He said as her set down the girl's drink.

She smiled. "Thanks." She took a sip, instating regretting it as the flaming cocoa burnt her tongue.

"So, tell me about yourself." She started.

"Hmmm. Well, you know my name . . ."

"Correct."

"Okay. Other details . . . I'm 21 years old. I'm training to be an astronaut. I went to Casper High in my high school days. I come from a family of ghost hunters." _I'm secretly Danny Phantom_, he thought to himself. He shook his head. "Um . . . That has to be basically everything about me." He lied. "What about you?"

Sam smiled. "First off, I'm a Goth. A recyclable vegetarian Goth. I'm 20, run a little vegetarian restaurant and come from a family of happy, bright and sunshiny people." He laughed. She didn't bother to mention the man she was going to marry. At this point, it wasn't important.

They seemed to have talked for hours, and the time flew by. It was almost 2 a.m. before Sam realized she had to leave.

"Awh. I have to go. I'm sorry." Sam said, standing.

Danny did the same. "That's okay. Maybe we could meet up tomorrow?" He asked, eyes hopeful.

Sam smiled and nodded. "Yea." She scribbled her name and cell phone number on a napkin. "Here. Call me and we'll make plans." She ran out of the coffee shop, yelling thanks over her shoulder. She waved at him in the big glass window as she passed by the front of the shop. Danny just stood there, smiling.  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For the next two months, the two met whenever they could. They always met at Gray's Coffee, but they almost never stayed. They went to the movies, on long walks, and once they went for a five-mile bike ride. Danny had complained after the first but he had a smile when he did. The complains, surprisingly, made her laugh every time.

Sam was worried though. She felt something in her she has never felt before. It was different than what she felt for Dash. She searched herself all the weeks since Danny had rescued her. It wasn't a week before her wedding that she realized she was in love with Danny. She tried wrapping her mind around Samantha Baxter, but her mind would wander to the thought of Sam Fenton. She would shake it out of her head. She was going to have a wedding with Dash, not Danny.

She hadn't told Danny about her upcoming wedding, either. She always hid her engagement ring when they hung out. She needed to tell him to come to her wedding on Saturday, though.

Sam picked up her cell phone as she ran out of her job. She called Dash first, pressing her speed dial three. His picture flashed on the screen as it rang.

"Hey, love. What's up?" He answered.

Sam bit her lip. "I'll be home late. I have to do a few things first."

"Okay. Can't wait foe you to come home. Love ya, sweetheart." Dash bellowed.

"You, too." She hung up. She dialed her speed dial two. A goofy picture of Danny popped up. Sam laughed.

He picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, Danny. It's Sam." She smiled.

"Hey, Sam!" His voice sounded happy and excited. It wiped the smile off of her face.

She swallowed. "Do you wanna go get a coffee? Meet me at the shop?"

"Of course!" He laughed. "Be there in five."

"Okay." She said, her voice a little shaky.

"Cool. See you in five!" He called and hung up.

Sam shut her phone and stuffed it in her bag. She thought about how she would break the news to Danny. She wondered how she would start, or how to react to what he says, or if she would cry. Would they lose their friendship? Will he hate her? Will he get angry? Does he even like her that way? Will he react like anyone else would? The worry was eating her alive. She wanted to walk, but walking took about ten minutes. She sighed and hopped in her car. She turned on some ear splitting music. Normally, she would never listen to this type of music, but she needed to get some things out of her mind.

She pulled up to Gray's coffee to see Danny already sitting at her favorite table. He was holding a cup in his hands. She knew it was his usual coffee with a lot of milk and barely enough sugar. She had tried it once after a week of knowing each other. She tried it, and had to run to the bathroom to get a drink of cold water. When she came out, Danny was laughing. He also liked his coffee extra hot, but he forgot to mention it when she took a swing of his drink. Her tongue was still burned from the number of times the hot cocoa and Danny's drink had burned her. Across from him was another cup, waiting just for her. She smiled.

Sam parked her car outside the little shop and left with nothing in her hands except her car keys. She remembered her ring. She grabbed at her hand, remembering she left it in her office as she rushed off. She sighed. _Now I'll have to go there after work and face questioning faces again today. _She thought as she trudged to the table.

"Hey, Sam." Danny greeted her with a smile as she sat down. The second his eyes landed on her face, he smile disappeared. "What's wrong?" He questioned.

She shook her head. "Just stress, I guess. I'm okay now." She gave a weak smile as she took a sip of her drink. It seemed cooler than other times she had gotten a drink. She ignored it.

He smiled back. "Alright. So I was thinking that we could go jet skiing on Saturday. It's supposed to be beau-ti-FUL!" He emphasized.

"Um. I can't on Saturday. I'm going to a wedding . . ." Sam took another swing of her drink.

He smiled still. "Oh. Fun. Who's it for?" He asked, casually sipping his drink.

"It's for . . . my friend." She muttered. "You can come if you want." She said without thinking.

"Okay. Just tell me when and where. If you want me there, I'll be there." He smiled.

She felt her heart break. Did she really want him there?

"Yea. I want you at the only church in Amity Park at 7:45 a.m." She said with a smile.

Danny nodded. "Alright. So now we need to make plans for tomorrow since we can't go Saturday. Jet skiing tomorrow instead? It's Friday, so maybe you could blow off work for a day?" His eyes pleaded and she couldn't refuse.

"Yea, but only 'cause we can't go on Saturday and it should be beau-ti-FUL!" She laughed. Danny joined her.

Three hours later, Sam left Gray's Coffee with plans in her head for the next day. She was going to meet Danny at Valerie's shop at 6 a.m. so they could get to the lake early. Danny was providing everything but food, which was Sam's job. She was going to make a large picnic tonight, knowing how much he ate. She needed to pack for breakfast, lunch and a small dinner. She ran into her office and grabbed her ring. She left a Post-it in her workers' doors saying she was going jet skiing with a friend the next day and she wouldn't be returning until after the honeymoon. She managed to forget the wedding and she was no longer worried.

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At 6 a.m. Sam pulled up to the shop. It wasn't going to be open for another half an hour. She parked her car in the back lot where Valerie usually parked hers. There would be room for two. She grabbed the picnic basket, and her car keys, leaving the ring in the glove compartment. She walked to the front as Danny pulled up in his truck with a pair of jet skis on the back.

"Ready?" He asked as she climbed in, shoving the basket in the back and stashing her keys in the glove compartment.

"Ready." She said with a smile and they drove off.

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As she had thought, Sam had the best time of her life. They spent countless hours on the jet skis, riding around to check out the scenes around the lake they were at and they raced each other. At points, they swam together in the water, splashing and having contests against each other. They ate when they got there, awhile after Sam's hands turned really wrinkly and on the way home. Danny knew he had fallen head over heels in love with this girl, and they weren't even dating. He wanted to ask her soon, but he decided to wait until the wedding the next day. Sam ignored all the messages her heart was telling her. She had made a commitment to Dash, so she couldn't love Danny. She kept telling herself that she hoped Danny didn't feel anything more than friendship for her. Something deep inside her though hoped he did.

As they went their separate ways at Gray's Coffee, Sam hugged him. She told him thanks over and over a million times over the course of the day, but she thanked him.

He wrapped his arms around her and chuckled. "No problem. Hope we can do again soon. I had a lot of fun." He mumbled.

She hid her face in his chest as her eyes started to water. She knew she would never be able to do this again after today. It would just be wrong. She nodded. "I gotta go, Danny. See you tomorrow." She muttered as she turned back to her car, picnic basket and keys in hand. She didn't look back at him, afraid she would start crying.

As she pulled out of the drive, she saw Danny. He smiled, waved and mouthed a "Bye." She waved and let a weak smile show. As soon as she was out of his sight, the tears spilled over. She never knew how much she was going to miss being single. She wished she was when she met Danny, but she couldn't leave Dash. She still loved him. She hated the lies she told Danny. Part of her wished she never went to town that day and they would have never met. Part of her was happy she met him. Most of her was confused and twisted with love, loss and pain. She went straight to bed when she got home. She needed for her big day tomorrow. As she slept, she dreamed happy dreams. She was at the lake again with Danny. Her memory was replaying the day at the lake for her, her one last happy memory with Danny.

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Sam looked into the church from her dressing room. She saw many people she didn't know. She also saw familiar faces; Dash's parents, her parents, her family, some of Dash's friends, like Kwan, and all her friends. She saw Danny and she broke down again. She turned back into the room that only held her and her grandmother, her hero, except for Danny.

"Sam? What's the matter, dear?" She asked her granddaughter. Sam knew she could tell her grandmother. She trusted her with her whole heart.

Sam hiccupped. "I-I think that I l-love someone else." She cried out in a whisper. She went to sit on the stool in front of the mirror. She buried her face on her hands and let out a soft cry.

Her grandmother came to rub her hand on Sam's back. "Ah. This is a very confusing thing for you. Just think of one question and you will have your answer."

Sam nodded, wanting the wise older woman to continue.

"Where do you see yourself in seven years?"

Sam put herself in her grandmother's question. "I see myself in a blue room." She answered.

"What are you doing?' Her grandmother asked.

"I'm in a rocking chair, reading a book."

"What is going on?"

"I hear a baby crying, in the room. I go over to him and pick him up."

"What else?"

"I stare into the baby's face. He smiles as he sees me. He lets out a small laugh. I can see my self in him, but he also looks like . . ." Sam paused and smiled. "I know what to do. Thanks, Grandma. You're the best." She reached over to hug the elderly lady.

"You're welcome sweetheart. Now let's redo your make-up. Can't let people know you were crying." She let out a soft laugh.

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As the music started, Sam walked down the aisle, alone. That was what she had wished when she first planned the wedding. As she walked, she avoided the face watching her. She stared straight on. She couldn't see Danny. Not yet.

She met Dash at the alter and the minister began the ceremony. Sam drowned out the noise of his words for most of the sermon. Not until the part that she needed to hear and answer.

The minister continued. "Do you, Dash Baxter, take Samantha Manson to be your wife?" Simple vows.

Dash smiled and looked at Sam. "I do." Simple answer.

"And do you, Samantha Manson, take Dash Baxter to be your husband?" Common vows.

"I need to talk to Dash first." Not common answer. Sam grabbed Dash's hand and led him to a room off to the right of the alter. She tried to ignore the mutters of the guests.

When they were in the room, she shut the door and turned to Dash. "I can't do this, Dash."

He looked confused. "What?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "I can't marry you." She felt tears coming, so she turned to leave.

Dash grabbed her arm. She turned and saw his face in an angry expression. "Wait! I love you! I have always loved you! You can't leave me! I LOVE YOU!" His anger made him yell.

She looked down. "But I don't love you." She whispered, and she left. She walked right up the aisle, not looking at anyone as tears ran down her face and she left her own wedding.

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The lake looked beautiful as the sun was setting, it was reflecting in the lake. Sam sat on the ground in her wedding dress. Her face was covered in dried tears and smudged make-up. She wanted to leave Amity Park, away from Dash and her parents. She wanted to start over.

Footsteps were behind her. She concentrated on the sunset.

"Some day?" A familiar voice asked her. Sam nodded as tears began to fill in her eyes. Danny was still in the tuxedo she had seen him in at the wedding. She tried to smile when she saw him, standing over her, but she started to cry again.

"Oh, Sam. It's okay." He said as he sat on the ground and put his arms around her shoulders.

She sniffed. "That was the hardest decision I ever had to make." She leaned into him.

Danny was confused. "Why didn't you marry him?" He asked, wondering if he should have.

"My grandmother saw me so upset before I even went out there. She told me to picture myself in seven years. I did. I was in a baby's room. When I picked him up, he smiled and laughed. I saw a little of myself in him, but mostly I saw . . ." She paused.

"Saw?"

"You." She whispered, blushing. "I'm in love with you, Danny. That's why I couldn't marry Dash. I'm sorry I lied about it being a friend's wedding. I didn't want you to get hurt." She almost started to cry again.

"Oh, Sam. I'm in love with you, too." He lifted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes.

Then, he gently pushed his lips against hers and both of them felt complete.

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**_Heyy!! Remember! Review!! Love it? Hate it? Wondering why Sam almost married Dash? Just review or PM me. ;]. _**

**_Thanks a bunches :]. _**

**_Amour de l'eau 333 :]._**


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